AESTHETICS & MOTION
An ambient dark interface engineered for calm reflection
Kept features a bespoke aesthetic system called Nocturne: ambient fractional Brownian motion shaders, contrast-clamped typography, and tactile vector glyphs.
How it works
A journal interface should soothe the senses rather than demand attention with high-contrast alerts or stark white backgrounds. Nocturne combines mathematical domain warping with subtle film grain to create a living, breathing backdrop that respects your focus.
Technical implementation
UI-Thread SkSL Shader Field
The background field is rendered in SkSL using fractional Brownian motion (fBm) with domain warping and procedural grain running on the GPU.
Focus-Aware Lifecycle Management
The shader automatically pauses when tabs are unfocused and freezes completely during active writing to conserve battery and eliminate visual motion distractions.
Contrast-Clamped Nocturne Tokens
Colors are clamped per ground to guarantee a minimum 4.5:1 contrast ratio across all dynamic hues, ensuring effortless legibility.
System-Respecting Accessibility
Respects iOS Reduce Motion (freezing field motion and cutting transitions) and Reduce Transparency (rendering solid plane layers).
Technical specifications
| Attribute | Specification |
|---|---|
| Shader Engine | Skia Shading Language (SkSL) |
| Noise Algorithm | Fractional Brownian Motion (fBm) |
| Target Framerate | Smooth 60fps on UI thread |
| Contrast Standard | >4.5:1 WCAG AA compliant |
Frequently asked questions
Does the ambient field drain battery?
No. The shader pauses when unfocused, freezes during typing, and respects iOS Low Power Mode.
Is there a light mode available?
Yes. The Nocturne tokens include a first-class light theme with independently measured and clamped contrast ratios.
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